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Sony BVV-5: Advice Regarding Power Supply and VA-5 Recorder
Hello. Thanks for the time.
I recently obtained my first Betacam SP unit for the purpose of outputting (i.e. recording) from my computer to Betacam SP tape.
The unit is the Sony BVV-5 with the VA-5 recorder.
Here is what I plan to do, any advice would be great.
Get the VA-500 for playback and a Datavideo DAC-2 for interfacing the computer and the Betacam SP unit
Questions:
1) What is the best way to connect the DAC-2 to the VA-5/BVV-5?
2) I need to supply power to the BVV-5. What are my options?
3) What else am I missing to record onto Betacam SP tape from my computer?
This is my first post on the Cow after being a long time reader, I really appreciate the help.
Jackie
nWorldwideWhat are my options for inputting component video into the
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15 Replies
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I have this combination of BVV5 and the VA-5 input adapter.
You can power it with any 12-volt (actually 13.8volts) DC supply with at least 2.5 amps current.
This can be what’s called a 12-volt DC “bench supply” found at electronic supply stores.
The price should be about $30-40. (No need to pay the $250 (!) or more Sony likes to charge for THEIR power supplies.)
Here’s one for an example (the second unit from the top, 99E004 $39.95).https://www.alltronics.com/bench_supplies.htm
The power supply connects to the BVV-5 via a 4-pin XLR connector on the recorder (the input adapter is powered thru its connection to the recorder).
Make sure you know which two pins to connect to and which is the + and the -).You connect the output of your computer’s DAC-2 to the BNC video input of the VA-5.
The audio is connected to the recorder’s audio inputs.
These are 3-pin XLR type professional line-level (don’t use the “mic” level setting).
You MIGHT not be able to feed the line inputs with enough LEVEL coming directly from the DAC-2 (I think is just “consumer line-level” which is much lower in output.)
If that is the case, you might need to buy a small pro-output-level audio mixer to boost the gain up enough.
A small Behringer UB802 (or similar) would do it… just about $50 US. Take a look:https://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/631238/
The BVV-5 will make very good BetaCam and BetaCamSP dubs.
BUT… it does NOT play back (to a video monitor) at all.
You can hear the AUDIO play, but you can’t see the video.Actually there is a way to connect a monitor to the BVV-5 (using the built-in 20-pin connector but it will only play in B&W and at low quality.
OTOH, I also own a Sony VA-300 Color Playback Adapter which DOES allow you to playback on the BVV-5 to check your dubs.
If you have any more questions, please post back.
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Great response Matte
A few more questions:
1) What is the best choice (under $1000) to go from your computer to the BVV-5 Betacam SP, if not the DAC-2… Maybe the DAC-10?
2) Ever heard of the Pinnacle Reeltime breakout box? I may be able to get one of those. They are kind of old, but do offer component video at a 13mb/s transfer.
3) Anyone know if Reeltime works on XP, not just NT???
4) I just ordered a VA-500 playback adapter yesterday. That is only composite out, correct? Any thoughts on the best way to connect it to an ext. monitor?
5) Don’t laugh at this one: I am looking at getting the Sony PVM-1350. What is up with the i/o jacks on the back? Those don’t look anything like the normal composite/component jacks on my HDTV. Where do I get cables that will fit in those holes? Please check out this picture get a better idea of what I mean:
https://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-PVM-1350-Color-13-Pro-Video-Monitor_W0QQitemZ7560942644QQcategoryZ21517QQcmdZViewItemThanks again Matte and everybody!
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The Behringer Eurorack UB802 Mixer looks perfect. Though I already have a Tube Pac Professional Tube Preamp/Compressor with XLR i/o and 1/4″ i/o. Will this serve the same purpose of raising the line level into the BVV-5?
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Matte, you wrote:
“You connect the output of your computer’s DAC-2 to the BNC video input of the VA-5.”So it only takes one cable to connect a breakout box to the VA-5? That BNC must be a good cable. Where do you recommend I get one from?
For optimum quality, I would have thought you use the 3 component outputs of the breakout box to connect to the VA-5, rather than the BNC cable.
Much Thanks,
J -
As far as a labeled input, the VA-5 only has a composite BNC input.
It does however have a “camera” input connector that SHOULD have the proper pins to allow you to connect to a component output.
But you must have a special cable that will fit your breakout box’s component output jacks on one end AND with a plug that fits that “camera” multi-pin input jack on the other (rather expensive cable, I’d think.)
As far as BNC or audio cables go, no “special” or “high-quality” cables are necessary (those expensive cables are a scam and a rip-off).
Just a properly operating basic BNC cable is fine.
Any basic shielded XLR cables are fine, too. -
[nworldwide] “I already have a Tube Pac Professional Tube Preamp/Compressor with XLR i/o and 1/4″ i/o. Will this serve the same purpose of raising the line level into the BVV-5?”
I need the Model Number of this unit to better judge that.
Many of these units are NOT “broadcast line-level”.
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So with your set-up, you find that using the BNC Composite input of the VA-5 gives very good quality?
I am making SP tapes for several Adelphia commercials and want to give them the best quality I can achieve.
My source material usually ends up being uncompressed AVI, as oppossed to DV compressed AVI.
I guess the ultimate question is what hardware you recommend to get this uncompressed avi into the VA-5? Is it possible to avoid tranferring in DV and just use the uncompressed avi if I am using a breakout box connected via firewire??
Thanks Again :o)
Since I am using the to export
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[nworldwide] “4) I just ordered a VA-500 playback adapter yesterday. That is only composite out, correct? Any thoughts on the best way to connect it to an ext. monitor?”
Just hook it to a composite input on any monitor, no big deal there.
[nworldwide] “Don’t laugh at this one: I am looking at getting the Sony PVM-1350. What is up with the i/o jacks on the back? Those don’t look anything like the normal composite/component jacks on my HDTV. Where do I get cables that will fit in those holes?”
I own one of these monitors as well. Works great.
These monitors use the standard jacks found on most professsional equipment.
You choose which input you want to display using buttons on the front of the monitor.LINE A: Video BNC in > BNC out (looped) Audio: RCA in>RCA out (looped)
LINE B: Video BNC in > BNC out (looped) Audio: RCA in>RCA out (looped)
LINE C: Video “S-Video”(Y/C)in > “S-Video”(Y/C)out (looped) Audio: RCA in>RCA out (Looped)
RGB: R-BNC G-BNC B-BNC Audio: RCA in
Sync: BNC in (No real need to connect the sync).
If you’re going to get into “professional” gear, better get used to using a lot of BNC cables. They are used almost “everywhere”.
No need to spend a lot of money on them. Those expensive cables in ads are mostly SCAMS and RIP-OFFS. The entire broadcast system around the world is connected with (mostly) standard-grade reliable BNC cables.
You can just add adapters that fit BNC plugs to convert to RCA jacks or other kinds of plugs on other gear.Here are some links that sell BNC cables and adapters.
There are hundreds more places (locally and on the web) to find them as well.
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This preamp is ONE CHANNEL MONO.
I’d certainly think you’d want TWO CHANNELS for making dubs.
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